Justine Larbalestier

reading, writing, eating, drinking, sport

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My hero

Scott just hit his tenth anniversary as a freelance writer. Congratulations, Mr Hardest-Working-Writer-I-Know.

He shares some cool statistics. Here’s two:

  • in that time he’s published well over one million words (gulp!),
  • and it took him eight years—that’s right—eight years (!) before he was earning enough from writing under his own name to support himself.

Eight years is a loooong time and yet most writers don’t ever earn enough to (comfortably) quit their day job. Scott has done very good indeed. I’m so proud.

Posted by Justine at 20:36, 4 June 2006 under Praising, Publishing business, Scott's books, Writing life | 17 Comments »

Comments

  1. Lee Lowe Says:

    I’m really glad you added that about most writers not being able to quit their day jobs. It’s time to think outside the paradigm.

    June 5th, 2006 at 3:20 AM

  2. Jenny D Says:

    I loved Scott’s post–and I must say that while of course eight years is a long time in itself, it is quite an accomplishment to pull off the full-time writing-fiction-under-your-own-name thing after that period (which after all is the average length it takes to do a PhD in the humanities in the US–I think that’s about right for a really thorough stint of professional training….) or indeed at all. Good stuff!

    June 5th, 2006 at 9:50 AM

  3. 3. Justine Says:

    Lee Lowe: Absolutely! Not only are most writers not able to: there’s a fair few who don’t want to. Pat Murphy, who works at the wonderful Exploratorium museum in San Francisco, says her day job feeds into her writing, that without it she wouldn’t be able to write as well.

    I know other writers who’ve tried the full-time writing thing and felt so isolated and depressed that they went back to having a day job.

    Jenny D: Isn’t it? It also shows that if you want to be a fulltime writer you have to be prepared to write stuff that isn’t inspired by your “muse”. Scott also designed educational software and wrote for educational software packages: Hundred word pieces at a specific grade level about this, that and the other. He was never a snob about what he would or wouldn’t write.

    June 5th, 2006 at 12:44 PM

  4. cherie priest Says:

    Aw :) Congratulations to him! Well, to both of you, really. I just found the Barnes & Noble here “near” my home, and we walked down there yesterday.

    I saw your booooks …(both of yours) … and when I get paid I’m gonna buuuuy them …

    June 5th, 2006 at 1:25 PM

  5. Rebecca Says:

    i’ll try to remember the no capitals rule, but if i slip up, i hope you’ll forgive me. :P

    begin completely off-topic comment

    so. i just finally bought magic or madness. i went to borders because i thought it better to spend my spare change on books rather than food. books are far less fattening and carby, etc. so i search for m or m and the computer is all like nyah nyah, we don’t have it, and i was very sad, as i have been wanting the book for some time. so i go to browse, and right as i’m getting ready to leave, i stumbled across…. magic or madness!!! two copies!! stupid borders. but i’ve got the book, i’ve read the first two pages, and i already love it. and now i’m going to stay up much later than i should reading it. :)

    June 6th, 2006 at 12:00 AM

  6. 6. Justine Says:

    Cherie: Thanks!

    Rebecca: You don’t have to do a thing for it to be stripped of caps—my blog does that for you.

    So pleased you like what you’ve read thus far. Hope you still feel that way by the end . . .

    And good on ya for defying Borders’ computer!

    June 6th, 2006 at 1:07 AM

  7. Rebecca Says:

    Great, I’m going capital-happy. :D

    Ahhh!! It’s awesome! :D I’m on page 69 (69, dude! haha) and in the interests of not being a zombie at work tomorrow, i must put it away for the night, but jeez! i might just slip it in my satchel, mwahahahahaha…. anyway, i love it!

    hmmm. actually, this no capitals thing is kind of liberating. i wonder if i can get my word processor to do it.

    June 6th, 2006 at 1:48 AM

  8. Rebecca Says:

    i just finished magic or madness. it. was. so. awesome. :D :D bloody cliffhangers. i really want the next one. but. first i have to buy groceries and such. poo. but it was so great! eeeee! excitement!

    June 6th, 2006 at 10:32 PM

  9. 9. Justine Says:

    So pleased you liked it! Yay! Definitely food first, books second. If you don’t eat, you die.

    June 7th, 2006 at 12:34 AM

  10. Amirah Says:

    i finally found “magic or madness” in the store! seriously, malaysian bookstores are hopeless; i have yet to locate “magic lessons” or scott’s “specials” and i -need-* to read them. i’m dying from the suspense!

    *the word “need” is between the hyphens because i can’t capitalise it. =)

    June 7th, 2006 at 6:56 AM

  11. 11. Justine Says:

    Amirah: So pleased you could find it. I have heard that Kinokuniya in KL has copies of both Magic or Madness and Magic Lessons.

    June 7th, 2006 at 6:35 PM

  12. Amirah Says:

    Yay! i’m going to go down there a.s.a.p. and now, i shall quote scott, “let there be w00ting, and let it be loud”!

    June 8th, 2006 at 12:11 AM

  13. 13. Justine Says:

    Hope the books are actually there . . .

    June 8th, 2006 at 10:44 PM

  14. Amirah Says:

    if i can’t find any on the shelves, i -could- always go harass some poor salesperson and make them go get the books out of the box…

    June 9th, 2006 at 4:59 AM

  15. 15. Justine Says:

    Or ask them to order it in if there are none in said boxes . . . Or hassle your local library to get copies. Good luck on your quest!

    June 9th, 2006 at 9:54 AM

  16. Dawn Cline Says:

    I was searching for a picture to use at my library’s Web site to promote our Author Festival in February. I’m SO excited that Scott is coming! I am excited to learn about YOU also and will be rushing out tomorrow to buy your book! Especially, I think it’s amazing how supportive you are of your husband! Best to you both!:)

    July 7th, 2006 at 8:41 PM

  17. 17. Justine Says:

    Dawn: We’re looking forward to it, too. I just hope it won’t be too cold :-)

    July 7th, 2006 at 10:46 PM

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